Dynasty Warriors 3 for Sony PlayStation 2
Character FAQ for Taishi Ci
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0.0 Introduction
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Welcome to what is my 5th FAQ now. I am Bjan Mara, and I go by the on-line
name of psxfreak101, incase you hadn't noticed :-P
This Character FAQ is for the character Taishi Ci of the Dynasty Warriors 3
game. Under the list of Character FAQs, Taishi Ci's name was missing, and
seeing that I'd just started his musou mode very recently during my second
complete playthrough of DW3/3:XL, and that DW3 rates as my all-time favourite
game, I figured I may as well write up an FAQ on him. So, it is as follows.
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Contents
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1.0 Version History
2.0 Why play as Taishi Ci?
3.0 Encyclopaedia Entry
4.0 Unlocking Him
5.0 Moveset
6.0 Using Taishi Ci
7.0 Weapons
8.0 Musou Mode Walkthrough
8.1 The Battle At Hu Lao Gate
8.2 Surprise Attack On Liu Biao
8.3 The Battle at Chi Bi
8.4 The Battle at He Fei
8.5 Raid on the Rogue Fortress
8.6 The Battle at Yi Ling
8.7 The Nanman Campaign
9.0 Is This The End?
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1.0 Version History
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Version 1.0 Submitted 22/1/2006
For all intents and purposes, is complete, unless an error or 100
are spotted.
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2.0 Why play as Taishi Ci?
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Well, apart from being one of the many playables in the game I like to regard
as the best ever, he uses a pair of rods. Duel-wielding officers are always
cool in my book. Also, he is one of the more average playable officers in this
game, so if you're up for a bit of a challenge then this is one officer you can
pick for that purpose.
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3.0 Encyclopaedia Entry
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This is direct from his Officer Bio in the DW3:XL game:
"An officer of Wu. With his strong sense of duty and a feeling of obligation to
his mother, he saved Kong Rong, the viceroy of Bei Hai, from danger. Later, he
serves Liu Yong and fights Sun Ce to a draw. Liu Yong eventually loses to Sun
Ce, forcing Taishi Ci to submit to Sun Ce, serving him from there on."
Well, you know what they say: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." :-D
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4.0 Unlocking Him
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The following has to be done during musou mode:
At The Assault on Wu Territory, defeat Liu Yong while Taishi Ci is still alive.
A cut-scene between Sun Ce and Taishi Ci will occur and Taishi Ci will defect
to your side. Finish the stage and Taishi Ci will be available for play. This
also unlocks the allied forces side of the stage.
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5.0 Moveset
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A basic description of his moves. Then, it'll be followed by a preferred way
of playing. I'll also add the preferred name for the moves in brackets
afterwards.
T - Triangle, S - Square. C<number> - xth Charge, which is just the proper name.
SSSSSS (S-String) - His S-String consists of 5 180 strikes and one poke. Very
good when attacking a crowd from the side, and gets the job
done in a one-on-one situation very well.
Running Attack - Not the best of running moves, but can hurt when it connects.
T (C1) - A 180 crowd clearer. Like pratically all C1s, is probably more useful
in breaking officers that are guarding, and is also a bit sluggish.
ST (C2) - A sluggish short launcher. Can be juggled though.
SST (C3) - A vertical stunning move. Not good unless you have one target
in front of you.
SSST (C4) - Although he only pokes in front of himself with this move, it
proves to be a great crowd clearer thanks to the backlash on
anybody that happens to be behind the unlucky saps in front of you.
SSSST(T) (C5) - Just a typical high launcher.
SSSSST(TTT) (C6) - 3 or 4 successive pokes followed by his C4. Leaves you
fairly open for attack from all sides if you are continually
pressing here.
Musou - Alternating left and right pokes. Ends with a few quick double attacks
and then his C4 to end it. Your targets remain grounded, so damage is
maximised. The ending really packs a punch and is essentially 180!
True Musou - The obligatory fire element is added. It juggles, so whilst the
target(s) is/are burning from the fire element, the impacting
damage won't be as significant as it could/should be. Still gets
the job done.
S on Horse - Alternating swings on the right and left hand sides respectively.
Just like any other horse attack in this game.
T on Horse - More powerful version of his S on horse attack. Swings both rods
to the right, then to the left.
Musou on Horse - A continuous quicker string of his T on horse attack. Clears
crowds well (again, like every other in this game).
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6.0 Using Taishi Ci
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Let us address the major strength that Taishi Ci possesses: one-on-one battle.
In this game, Taishi Ci can tear up generic officers with ease, even on Hard.
His S-String targets all in front of him, and his musou is grounded and pokes,
ensuring major damage to your target. Best part is that generic generals won't
use their musou to break up yours. So, he is free to rip into the enemy with
this. Against playable officers though, you won't be able to use too much of
your musou as they will use theirs to stop it. The best combo to use against
single targets is using the first 5 strikes of his S-String, then cancelling
into his musou.
In approaching crowds from the side, again his S-String works wonders due to
the fact that it consists of 5 180 hits.
His one glaring weakness is the lack of a move that's wider than 180. This
hinders him badly in situations where you're completely surrounded by soldiers
(that being the very reason I called him "average" in the introduction, this
game is huge on crowd control, and he's a sitting duck when completely
surrounded). In this situation, if you're equipped with his 4th weapon, you'll
want to try and get in a C5. As your target(s) land, the lightning element will
ground everybody, and you should be able to walk away and try and not get so
surrounded. Without his 4th weapon, you're better off just trying to get in a
C4. Now, I've been saying "try" and that's mainly because you'll be easily
interrupted in surrounding crowds. So chances are you'll get in one, maybe two,
strikes in before someone from behind hits you and stops you from attacking any
further.
The following is an example item set-up that I like to use with Taishi Ci:
Tortoise Amulet
Tiger Amulet
Elixir
Shell Armor
Peacock Urn/Speed Scroll/Red Hare
Of course, item set-ups are always relative to what stat items you have. If
your Elixir is only a +2, then it absolutely isn't worth equipping.
The first four items there are almost always among the first things I equip. An
increase in attack and defense are always a plus, and a high-level elixir means
more opportunities for Taishi Ci to use his powerful musou. The shell armor is
there for added protection against archers and crossbow units, because goodness
knows they can really hurt on the higher difficulties.
As for the 5th slot, this one is more dependant on what you'd prefer. Usually
the Peacock Urn would be my first choice, but as he already has a Life +81 on
his 4th weapon, a Peacock Urn is almost useless when it's equipped (unless you
want an obscene amount of life, which could be a possibility). So, we address
the other issue he has: sluggish walking speed. I usually pick a Speed Scroll
over Red Hare for the simple fact that getting back on the horse isn't the
easiest of things to do in this game thanks to the swarming troops.
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7.0 Weapons
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The following is the 4 weapons that Taishi Ci can equip himself with. Of
important note is that his 1st, 2nd and 3rd weapons can be found either in
crates throughout the stages, or from an officer upon their defeat. His 4th
weapon is obtained through a specific objective on a specific stage (explained
under its stats) and can ONLY be obtained on Hard difficulty.
1st - Twin Rods
Attack +16
Max Hits: 4
2nd - Spiral Rods
Attack +31
Max Hits: 5
3rd - Wolf Slayer
Attack +45
Max Hits: 6
4th - Tiger Slayer
Attack +45
Max Hits: 6
HP Max +81
Attack +26
Bow Attack +55
Mounted Attack +51
Element - Lightning
Element activates on - SSST, SSSSTT
Where to obtain it - Assault on the Wu Territory, ***Allied Forces***
Requirements to get it - Defeat all Wu officers and sub-officers except for Sun
Ce
Where to locate weapon - Right next to the northern enemy gate. Box is found
there.
Strategies - The first important note is that you have to lay the final blow on
the following officers:
- Huang Gai
- Da Qiao
- Zhou Tai
- Zhu Zhi
- Zhou Yu
- Xiao Qiao
- Cheng Pu
- Han Dang
The second important note is that Zhou Yu should be left alone
until you have defeated Xiao Qiao, Cheng Pu and Han Dang.
Defeating him early will result in those 3 fleeing from battle
(assuming any are still alive).
The final important note is that this stage is to make sure that
you are playing this on the allied forces side and NOT the Wu
forces. The allied forces side is unlocked at the same time as
Taishi Ci, so if you're looking at this having obtained him,
you'll have unlocked the relevant side as well.
During the course of the stage, you'll see messages indicating
that HQ is in trouble. Ignore them for the most part. The
conditions for defeat are that Liu Yong, Yan Bai Hu AND Wang Lang
are all defeated and while you're fighting/defeating Zhou Yu and
his sub-generals there will be no threat of actually losing the
stage, as you are guarding the one threat against Yan Bai Hu.
As you proceed, you'll want to save upon each general defeat. This
is to ensure that you get the final hits on every general, and not
have a situation down the line where some random peon steals your
kill on your last target, thus nullifying any chance to gain the
4th weapon.
To the stage strategy itself, from your starting position, you'll
want to head towards the western side where Yan Bai Hu is
fighting. At the gate north of him is where you'll meet Zhou Yu's
3 sub generals. Defeat Cheng Pu, Han Dang and Xiao Qiao (making
sure that you get the final hits, and see Taishi Ci announcing
"I've defeated an officer!" upon each general defeat). Try and
take them on one at a time, because goodness knows facing them all
at once will only make your job harder.
Once Zhou Yu's 3 sub-generals have been defeated, head north
towards him. Dispose of Zhou Yu.
At this point, some of Sun Ce's troops should be heading towards
Yan Bai Hu via the central area (where you started), and Liu Yong
may have fallen by now. Just head towards the central area, and
hold your ground there. Defeat any of Sun Ce's sub-generals that
may be there, and slowly head north towards the gate. Close said
gate when you get there.
Now, Sun Ce and his remaining sub-generals should be swarming Wang
Lang (that's if Wang Lang is still alive). With his gate cut-off
the only soldiers remaining will be those with Sun Ce. Head
towards him and make sure you leave him well alone. Defeat his
remaining sub-generals and the "A Special Item has been
discovered!" message will appear. Head to the item, collect it,
SAVE, and head to and defeat Sun Ce to earn yourself Taishi Ci's
4th weapon.
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8.0 Musou Mode Walkthrough
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The first note about this musou mode before I begin, the generals you fight
with AND against are relative to the generals with whom you've finished
musou mode with.
The first names that I do mention in stages will be the original generals, with
the potential replacements being placed in brackets (assuming I know them
off-hand, may require a couple of updates to figure them all out).
Second note, I won't really be mentioning where to pick up items or weapons,
and where to get health. Items and weapons you can find locations for
elsewhere, while health pick-ups are general obtained from any of the
following:
- Any pot next to a gate will have health
- Any guard captains will drop at least a +100 meat bun
- Any soldier comboed for at least 16 hits upon death can drop at least a +50
meat bun
This walkthrough will only be concerned with just getting through the stages. I
will also mention where the Life+10 & Musou+10 are for each of the stages to
allow for easy maxing of the character.
The other important note: you don't have to take this as the one and only way
to play stages. This game is flexible like that. Feel free to head straight to
the enemy Commander if you so wish. It is all about your preferred manner of
playing, and I'm just outlining the way I prefer to play, which is NOT the
only way to go about it.
Anywho, let us begin with his first stage:
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8.1 The Battle At Hu Lao Gate
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Starting Position: With the Wu forces, just west of Fan Shui Gate.
First things first, eliminate Hu Zhen and Zhao Cen in front of you. This will
open up Fan Shui Gate for you, allowing you access to the rest of the stage
essentially. Defeat Hua Xiong just past the gate.
Head back onto the Fan Shui Gate. On top of the gate on the southern side there
is a Musou+10 waiting. Collect it, then head through the northern pathway,
passing Fan Chou, and stopping at Niou Fu. Defeat him, then head back through
to Fan Chou and defeat him as well.
Now work your way east, through the crowd, to Wang Fang. He is situated just
north of the East Gate. Usually the gate would be closed unless Wang Fang has
been defeated, but by now Lu Bu's forces should be nearby, opening the East
Gate up. Defeat Wang Fang, then head back through to Xu Rong and defeat him as
well.
Lu Bu and his sub-generals are optional in this stage. If you choose to defeat
them, get Zhang Liao and Gao Shun first, then work your way through Lu Bu. At
this point in time your character will have little to no chance of beating
Lu Bu, so you'll probably want to use a "hit and run" tactic using your musou.
If you are going to ignore Lu Bu completely, then just whittle down his morale.
The soldiers that come from the gate to the south are all Lu Bu's soldiers, so
defeating them will eventually bring down his morale, and thus prevent any
generals from falling by Lu Bu's spear while he's off-screen (and at the same
time bringing up the possibility that he could actually be defeated by your
allies).
In any case, Li Jue and Guo Si will have more than likely made their ambush in
the north. Cao Cao may still be sitting in the north, depending on how well he
was managing the soldiers from that northern gate. If that's the case, you'll
probably want to hurry to his side because he can fall very quickly. If Cao Cao
isn't there (or has been defeated), then Li Jue and Guo Si will head through to
the back of Yuan Shao's forces (should be waiting outside Fan Shui Gate).
Either way just head through to the 2 generals and defeat them.
Now, just head back through the southern path, meeting and defeating Li Meng if
he's still alive, and working your way through to the front of Hu Lao Gate. In
the little passage south of Li Meng's position, an archer ambush will appear.
Ignore the archers and continue towards the front of Hu Lao Gate.
At this point, an ally Assault Unit will appear infront of the gate. Protect
the Assault Captain and kill all the soldiers in the area. One of two things
can happen here:
- If you successfully defeat all the soldiers in the area, then the gate will
open and Li Ru will ambush infront of the gates.
- If the Assault Captain falls before the gate is opened, then there will be a
mass morale drop amongst the ally forces, and Li Ru will ambush in front of
the gates. His defeat will trigger the opening of the gates.
Once Li Ru has been defeated, defeat Diao Chan waiting inside the gate. Then,
head on top of Hu Lao Gate, and collect the Life+10 on the northern end of the
gate. Finally, just close the 3 gates in the back, and defeat Dong Zhuo for the
victory.
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8.2 Surprise Attack On Liu Biao
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Starting Position: In front of the eastern boat on the southern shores.
Firstly, anybody who's played this stage before knows that Sun Jian can fall in
this stage. The path I take in completing this stage completely ignores this
particular event. The reason being that when Sun Ce takes over as commander,
everybody's morale goes up. Whilst you do lose an officer (and a playable one
at that), why not have the free morale boost?
To start, close the gate right next to you. Then, head towards Huang Zu's
position and defeat him. Then head straight to the enemy gate in the west and
close that one as well. Just to the east of that gate (next to the closest
tents) there is a Musou+10. Collect that.
Work your way north through to Zhang Hu's position. Near his location you'll
see three pots sitting side-by-side. One of them contains a Life+10. Collect it
and defeat Zhang Hu. Then close the gate to your immediate east.
Head north inside the fort. There, you'll find Kuai Liang, Chen Sheng and Cai
Mao inside the entrances. Defeat them all, then exit through the eastern side
of the fort and take care of Lu Gong. Then back-track back into the fort and
defeat Liu Biao.
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8.3 The Battle at Chi Bi
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Starting Position: Eastern-most boat.
To begin, turn right slightly and break open that pot to collect a Musou+10.
Now, your best interest here would be to defeat Xiahou Dun (Dian Wei) first. He
is guarding the position that Huang Gai is supposed to be stationed at for the
potential fire attack. So, head straight to Xiahou Dun and dispose of him.
Now this is definitely one stage where it becomes extremely open-ended. There's
really two paths you can choose to take prior to the fire attack occurring (the
fire attack is all but guaranteed with the defeat of Xiahou Dun (Dian Wei)):
Path 1 - Head down the western flanks and defeat the following officers:
- Xiahou Yuan (Zhang He) and his sub-officers Cao Ren and Yu Jin
- Cao Pi
- Li Dian (he'll move forward after the death of the previously two
mentioned officers)
If you defeat these officers quick enough, your own morale will
increase very quickly and your troops on the eastern flanks will take
care of all the officers there. However, that means you miss out on
all the bonuses from the generals there.
Path 2 - Return to the eastern flanks and defeat the following officers:
- Xu Huang and his sub-officers Cao Zhang and Wen Pin
- Yue Jin (he'll start heading south once Xu Huang is defeated)
Yes, this has less officers to take care of, but this does leave the
ally officers in the west quite vulnerable to defeat. You will take
all the bonuses from the enemy officers defeated though in this
scenario. Once these guys are taken care of, go and help your allies
in the west.
For the record, I much prefer the second path. Mainly due to wanting to take
out all the officers myself.
At some point, the fire attack will occur and it will change the landscape of
the stage somewhat. It will also prompt the appearance of Xun Yu as enemy
reinforcements. If you want to take his scalp, do it quick because he appears
with only 2 star morale.
All that is left at this point is to sweep up the remaining enemy officers,
consisting of:
- Zhang Liao, with sub-officer Cai Mao
- Cao Xiu, with sub-officer Jia Xu
- Cao Cao, with sub-officers Cao Hong, Cheng Yu and Xun You
The manner in which I like to go about it is to work through the stage in a
clock-wise manner, closing up all 4 enemy gates in the north and taking down
officers that I see along the way. Eventually work through to Cao Cao and end
the stage with his defeat.
Of note, between the two western-most gates in the north, there is a boat. On
that boat is a Life+10. Don't forget to collect it.
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8.4 The Battle at He Fei
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Starting Position: Northern part of the central area.
To start, head west and find Zhang Liao. Defeat him straight away as this will
prevent him from ambushing Sun Quan (Sun Ce/Sun Jian) later on in the stage.
Then, head up the two north-western paths and defeat Xu Huang, Jia Xu and Cao
Zhang. They never come down the same way so you'll have to just look on the map
(and in Jia Xu's case, manually search for him).
You have two choices at this point:
- Head towards the north-east corner and dispose of Cao Pi and his sub-officer
Zhen Ji, and Cao Hong and his sub-officer Pang De. This will aid Lu Xun (Zhou
Yu) and Cheng Pu. There is also a Musou+10 in the far north-eastern corner.
You can close the gate here too if you wish.
- Head towards the south-west area and defeat Cao Ren and his sub-officer Yu
Jin, and Xiahou Dun and his sub-officer Li Dian. This will aid Lu Meng.
Whichever corner you pick, chances are that your allies in the opposite corner
will fall and it will prompt the Wei forces in that area to head towards the
centre. So, pick a corner, clean it out, then head towards the generals from
the opposite corner and clean them out too.
All that's left now is to head to Cao Cao's position. Defeat Xu Zhu who is in
the area, and then head next to the western of the two northern gates. Right
next to it is a Life+10. Collect it, close both gates, then defeat Cao Cao for
the victory.
Oh, at some point, Gan Ning will "ambush" Wei HQ. Around 15 minutes in he'll
make his appearance.
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8.5 Raid on the Rogue Fortress
-------------------------------
Starting Position: South-west corner outside of the fort.
Head east to begin. You should see a Lieutenant with 4 Rogues under Xu Zhu
outside the gate. Defeat the Lieutenant to open the gate up. Go through the
gate and head east. Follow the path around to the first Lt. Commander. Defeat
him, then head back. This time follow the path east towards the second Lt.
Commander. Defeat him then head back in front of the first gate.
In front of the first gate you opened there should be another Lieutenant with
his Rogues (all under Xu Zhu). Defeat the Lieutenant to open up the next gate
in front. Enter the gate and follow the path east again towards the third Lt.
Commander. Defeat him, collect the Musou+10 along the eastern wall, then head
back again.
Once you're back to being just past the second gate entrance, you should see
some stairs to the west. Climb them, then follow the wall north. Continue along
the path until you see it turn west. Jump off at this point and head to the
east. You will find your last Lt. Commander. Defeat him and a gate will open up
nearby. Enter through this gate.
In this little area you'll be ambushed by Xu Zhu. Defeat him to end the stage.
Now, you'll notice a lack of mention of a Life+10. That's mainly because I
cannot recall where it is. I swear it was just east of the little central area
where you find the commander, but it isn't, so I don't know. If you can give me
a decent description of where it is, feel free to e-mail me and tell me and
you'll be credited of course.
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8.6 The Battle at Yi Ling
--------------------------
Starting Position: In the central area next to Lu Meng and Wei Yan.
This particular walkthrough ignores Zhu Ran's attempt at the fire attack. This
is mainly due to the manner in which I complete the stage, nothing more. If you
feel compelled to have this fire attack happen, then help him out when he
appears by defeating Zhang Bao.
Seeing that you start close to him, why not defeat Wei Yan first. Then, head to
the south-east and take care of Ma Chao (Guan Yu) and his sub-officers Ma Dai
and Guan Suo. Now head back to the central area and find and defeat Zhao Yun.
You should see Guan Xing and Zhang Bao in the area as well. Defeat them too.
Depending on how quickly you've defeated those officers, it is very likely that
Cheng Pu and Sun Shang Xiang have both fallen. This means that Huang Quan (with
sub-officer Shamoke) and Huang Zhong (Pang Tong) will start approaching the
centre area. Defeat them as you see them (and Zhang Bao if you haven't already
done so).
Now, from the central area head south into the Stone Warrior Formation (the
maze in the south). As you approach, an enemy "ambush" will appear in the maze.
Inside the maze you'll have no access to your on-screen map, so if you need any
reference as to where you are in the maze, you'll have to pause.
Inside the maze you should come across Lei Tong and Wu Lan (at the entry and
exit respectively). Navigate the maze in a clockwise manner, defeating the two
officers as you see them. Also along the way, stop to pick up a Life+10
(middle-right section) and a Musou+10 (bottom-left section).
Once you're out of the maze, head back towards Ma An Gate (the gate that Huang
Zhong (Pang Tong) and Yan Yan were originally guarding) and defeat Ma Liang
(assuming he hasn't already been defeated by your troops). Then head for Zhuge
Liang and defeat him, leaving Liu Bei for the final kill and the victory in
this battle. If you are struggling with the swarming soldiers in the area, feel
free to close the gate in the south-west. In fact, that would probably be
advisable, particularly if you're allies aren't going to reach you anytime soon
(which is very likely).
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8.7 The Nanman Campaign
------------------------
Starting Position: In front of your HQ.
To start, defeat Meng Huo who is headed your way. Then head west towards the
western-most path, defeating Gao Ding along the way. Cross the more northerly
bridge west and collect a Musou+10 just to the north. Continue west and head
towards Wu Tugu's position.
Take care of Wu Tugu, then look out for and defeat Meng Huo (he would have
re-appeared by the time you got there) and Dong Tu Ne. Rush all the way to the
eastern side of the stage and help out Lu Meng if you wish to keep him alive.
In any case, defeat Zhu Bao along the way if he hasn't already been defeated,
then head down the eastern path, defeating Meng Huo (appearance No.3), Ahui Nan
and King Duosi.
Head back towards your HQ. Meng Huo will have reappeared for his 4th appearance
just south-west of HQ. Defeat him, then take care of Dailai Dongzhu who
would've crossed the bridge to the north by now. Then head down the central
path, taking the eastern of the two bridges in the centre, and head to and
defeat Yong Kai if he hasn't already fallen. Then head to King Mulu and defeat
him too.
You will have noticed that Meng Huo has made his 5th appearance for the stage
by now. The quickest way to reach him from your current location is to take an
elephant (preferably King Mulu's, seeing that it should be right there) and
break through the walls to the west just before the bridge south. Defeat Meng
Huo there and collect a Life+10 sitting along the river.
Now head all the way back towards HQ in the north. Meng Huo will reappear yet
again just south-east of HQ. Defeat him, then head all the way back south. By
the time you reach Meng You, Meng Huo will have made his final appearance in
his base in the south-west. Defeat Meng You in the south, then continue west
towards Zhu Rong. Defeat her, and then Meng Jie waiting in front of the base.
Then it's just a matter of working your way through to Meng Huo's position and
taking him out one last time.
Congratulations, you've just completed Taishi Ci's musou mode for DW3!
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9.0 Is This The End?
---------------------
Yay for random DW3 quote :-D
Anywho, that's it for this FAQ. Not much else to add except thanks for reading
my character FAQ to do with my all-time favourite game!
If you're wanting to contact me for whatever reason, whether it be pointing out
a mistake in the FAQ, or just wanting to tell me that the game sucks, use this
address:
psxfreak101 at hotmail dot com
Or better yet, just post something on the DW3 board, because I'll be there
ready to answer anything you've got on your mind.
Thanks for reading!